Professional Development
Professional Development Opportunities for Educators
Want to sharpen your STEM teaching skills? Dudley at Siena periodically offers a variety of professional development opportunities to offer resources and help you engage your students in astronomy and physics concepts. You’ll have an opportunity to learn directly from Dudley Astronomer with Siena University – Dr. Mindy Townsend and explore astronomy with hands on activities to deepen your content knowledge.
Dudley Astronomy Online Teacher Workshops
Registration available soon!!
Our online teacher workshops break the wide variety of concepts and topics within the field astronomy into bite sized learning opportunities to fit into busy schedules. Each month features a new engaging topic and provides participants with relevant background information and examples of activities to bring into your classroom.
Participants receive 2 hours of continuing education credits for each workshop, access to screen recordings of the workshop and relevant content materials.
October Workshop - Stellar Evolution
October 15th, 2025 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Join Dr. Mindy Townsend of Dudley Observatory for a lesson on the development of stellar astronomy, how astronomers classify stars, and the physical meaning behind that classification. This is a two-hour workshop during which you’ll receive instruction on stellar evolution and discussion of relevant classroom activities.
Completing the workshop counts as two hours of continuing education credit: Registration: $25.
November Workshop - Stellar Remnants
November 13th, 2025 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Join Dr. Mindy Townsend of Dudley Observatory for a lesson on stellar remnants, or what happens to stars after they run out of fuel. During this two-hour workshop you will learn about the different evolutionary pathways of stars and how those pathways determine a star’s final form. We will also discuss relevant classroom activities.
Completing the workshop counts as two hours of continuing education credit: Registration: $25.
December Workshop - Cosmic Distances
December 10th, 2025 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Join Dr. Mindy Townsend of Dudley Observatory for a lesson on cosmic distances. From the distance to the Moon and planets, to faraway galaxies, we’ll discuss the history and development of the “cosmic distance ladder,” a tool astronomers use to calculate distance. We will also discuss relevant classroom activities.
Completing the workshop counts as two hours of continuing education credit: Registration: $25.
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Questions about Dudley at Siena programs or have a specific professional development event that you would like to book? Email info@dudleyobservatory.org